Who Do You Look Like?

Who do people say you look like? Do you always get compared to someone? Is it always the same individual or different people? A bevy of recent comments have me pondering such thoughts. I bet some of you can relate.

We can’t all be like Tyler Tarver who looks exactly like that guy from The Notebook.  You know the one, umm, James Garner.  Wait, that’s not the one. I meant Ryan Gosling. 

One of these men is world famous and incredibly wealthy. The other one has a blog.*

I look like someone that everybody knows. I’m familiar. When I was younger I made grandmas dream of their grandchildren. “It’s scary how much you look just like him!” they would say. People often stare like they know me only to realize they don’t.

I’ve been called a liar by strangers because I wouldn’t admit that I went to school with them. They were convinced I was “that guy.” I wasn’t. Not only have I been called lots of things, but I’ve been compared to lots of people. The doppleganging trends large these days.

My mom sees a young Jimmy Stewart which I’ll rock if I got, but Keanu Reeves has been the longest running one. I know. The comparisons to Reeves started after The Matrix came out. I got a lot of “you look like Neo” comments at the time, but I’m pretty sure I have zero Hawaiian or Chinese ancestry on account of being related to Braveheart, but I’ll take the Neo connection. Strangely, I still get Keanu a couple times a year, usually when wearing sunglasses.

Then there was the Friends era with lots of Chandler. Never Matt Perry, just his character. Then I went to the dentist where a receptionist said, “You remind me of that guy from Friends.  Oh, what’s his name?” 

“Chandler,” I said.

“No, not him,” she said.  “Ross!”

Huh?  The neurotic Jewish guy?  No one looks like two members of Friends.  That’s an existential impossibility, and the universe would implode if such a person appeared.

But time marches on and the comparisons kept coming, more about mannerisms than looks no doubt. My humor apparently reminds students of Dane Cook.

One of the funniest comparisons came from a student in 2009. On final exams students briefly explain what part of the course impacted them the most. One girl wrote (and I am not making this up): “Probably that Professor Morgan looks like the bad kid from The Breakfast Club.” Ha! Judd Nelson? Sure, Bender rocks, but I didn’t see that coming. Although I have been considering a Halloween effort, but I’ll need the rest of the Brat Pack. Do any of you qualify?

I’d be schizophrenic if I believed this latest wave of guess who. The recent issue with Disney’s Tangled was covered in detail on my birthday. Some girl recently told me I reminded her of the guy from Jeepers Creepers. I didn’t think that was very nice. Am I really throwing off that serial killer/monster vibe? Turns out she meant Justin Long (the Mac guy). That was a new one. A new class began right after the Jeepers Creepers encounter so I related the anecdote for a laugh.  A few students quickly agreed: “You do look like Justin Long!”  No, I do not.

Then a new student showed up on day two of that class. I asked him what he preferred to be called. He said, “Call me Turk cause you remind me of J.D.” Umm… It was a rare moment of me not getting a pop culture reference. Turns out he was referring to Scrubs, one of those shows that’s super hip yet I didn’t watch. Some of the other students in the class (the same class that agreed with the Justin Long call) jumped in. “You do look like J.D.!” Turk later showed me a clip. Scrubs is way funnier after a lecture on the Black Death. I didn’t realize J.D. is Zach Braff. Not a chance I look like that guy. 

I must be part chameleon. You tell me. Whether it’s more appearance or mannerisms or delivery in what universe does this formula hold? I guess beauty isn’t the only thing in the eye of the beholder.

*In case you were still wondering, Tyler Tarver is on the left in the Ryan Gosling image mixup puzzle above. The springy duck is the secret clue.

So who do people say you look like? Connect with me on Twitter @eduClaytion.